Trustworthy, administrator
6,720
edits
Changes
m
Typo
}}'''80079''' is a '''BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T''' tank engine designed by R.A. Riddles. The Class 4 tank engine was derived from the ex-LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T, and was used mainly on commuter and outer suburban services. A total of 155 were built, of which 15 have survived into preservation. They had a BR route availability classification of RA5; when used on BR Western Region running lines such as the Severn Valley branch this equated to a [[GWR Power and Weight Classification|Blue route availability]].<ref>British Railways Western Region, Locomotive Route Availability, June 1963</ref>
Towards the end of their life members of the class were regularly based at Shrewsbury, from where they saw occasional [[Locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service| use on the Severn Valley Branch during commercial service]], particularly at the north end of the line.<ref group="note">Between Buildwas and Bewdley was 'Dotted Blue', meaning the class should have been restricted to 25mph.</ref> These included 80079, one of only two present day SVR residents to have done so (the other being [[4150|GWR light prairie Large Prairie 4150]]).<ref>SVR News 201</ref> Classmate 80078 was also recorded on the Branch in service;<ref>Picture in SVR News 15</ref> it has since [[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas|visited the SVR in preservation]] as has 80136.
==80079 in service==
After repair, 80079 continued in service at Tilbury until rendered redundant by electrification of those lines. A number of the 2-6-4T class were then transferred to the Western Region, with 80079 moving to the Croes Newydd shed, Wrexham in July 1962, from where it would regularly have worked services to Shrewsbury.
John Stretton captions an image of 80079 emerging from [[Bridgnorth Tunnel]] on 30 August 1962 on the 7.27p.m. Bridgnorth to [[Shrewsbury]].<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Stretton (2010)]] p. 90</ref> The locomotive was withdrawn from Croes Newydd in July 1965 and taken to [[Barry Scrapyard]], arriving in January 1966.<ref name="BRDatabase" /><ref name="BarryList"> Beckett and Hardingham (2010), The Barry List 10th Edition</ref>.
==80079 in preservation==
|}
After cosmetic restoration at Bridgnorth, 80079 was temporarily placed on display at the [[National Railway Museum | NRM Shildon]] in March 2005.<ref>SVR News 150</ref>. It was then one of the first batch of locomotives to be displayed in [[The Engine House]] at [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2000-2009#2008 | opening in 2008]]. It has remained on display there since, although it has occasionally been shunted outside to be re-positioned or turned on [[Kidderminster Turntable]] (locomotives at either end of the Engine House generally face towards the centre as seen below).
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
